| Brida is the story of a search of learning by a young | | | | "Cells went on reproducing themselves in exactly the |
| girl who is seemingly naïve, but she is neither | | | | same way for millions of years until one of them |
| naïve nor lacking in intellect, since she has had a | | | | made a mistake, and introduced change into that |
| few incarnations, in which she knew a lot about being | | | | endless cycle of repetition." |
| a witch. Brida is a beautiful, ambitious, and successful | | | | Then, Paolo Coelho bonds the teachings of |
| person, and she has a very supportive boyfriend, | | | | Christianity with the Tarot, witchcraft, mysticism, and |
| Lorenz. The story takes place in Ireland during 1983 | | | | other practices. The rituals of the witches are |
| and 1984. | | | | described in detail in several passages. This is not |
| The story opens with Brida telling Magus that she | | | | necessarily harmful, but those who may be put off |
| wants to learn magic. What Brida doesn't know at | | | | by such practices should stay away from this book. |
| that moment is that she is Magus's soul mate. This | | | | Brida is in hardcover, 224 pages with ISBN-10: |
| she will find out toward the end of the book | | | | 0061578932 and ISBN-13: 978-0061578939. The book |
| together with who she is and what the deeper | | | | opens with a quotation from the Bible, Luke 15: 8-9 |
| meaning in her life is, by getting transported to a | | | | as its first page. Then, a warning page, a prologue by |
| parallel universe and through other supernatural | | | | the author, and finally, the story of Brida's search |
| experiences. | | | | follows. |
| Magus is the teacher of the tradition of the sun. | | | | The author, Paolo Coelho, was born in Rio de Janeiro |
| Brida's other teacher is Wicca, who is a witch, and | | | | in 1947. He worked as a theatre director, actor, |
| she teaches Brida the tradition of the moon. | | | | lyricist, and a journalist. After traveling the world and |
| This story's construction does not live up to the | | | | finding out about secret societies and other religions, |
| quality of Coelho's other work; however, it is easy to | | | | Coelho dedicated himself to his writing and published |
| find the characters real enough, and the book is | | | | his first book in 1982. 1n 1987 The Alchemist was |
| interspersed with spiritual sayings and messages. | | | | published to become an eventual international |
| Since the plot has no twists, the storyline seems to | | | | best-seller. Coelho has received many awards too |
| be prolonged, possibly because the writer wants the | | | | numerous to list, among them The Crystal Award by |
| reader to pay attention to the messages rather than | | | | the World Economic Forum and "Knight of Arts and |
| the story. | | | | Letters of France." His books are: Brida, The |
| In addition, wanting to learn to be a witch is melded | | | | Valkyries, By the river Piedra I sat Down and Wept, |
| with wanting to learn wisdom, and this reader | | | | Maktub, The Fifth Mountain, Manual of a Warrior of |
| wonders if the author views wisdom in its totality as | | | | Light, Veronika Decides to Die, The Devil and Miss |
| being on the same level of becoming a witch. Still, the | | | | Prym, Eleven Minutes, The Zahir. |
| book has inspirational passages, even if it disappoints | | | | Brida is a readable book, if the reader does not |
| where the story weaving is concerned. For example: | | | | expect the same heightened enjoyment of other |
| "Life is about making mistakes," said the Teacher. | | | | Coelho work. |